The Terminator: 10 Behind-the-Scenes Tales of a Sci-Fi Classic

      Here are 10 behind-the-scenes stories from The Terminator.

      The Inspiration for The Terminator Came to James Cameron in a Dream

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      “The idea for The Terminator originated from a dream I had while I was ill with a fever in a budget hotel in Rome in 1981. I envisioned a chrome skeleton emerging from flames. Upon waking, I immediately started sketching on the hotel stationery,” said James Cameron, the film's writer-director, in an interview with the British Film Institute.

      “My first sketch depicted a metal skeleton cut in half at the waist, crawling along a tiled floor, using a large kitchen knife to drag itself forward while reaching out with its other hand. In another drawing, the character was menacing a crawling woman. Without the kitchen knife, these images closely resembled the climax of The Terminator.”

      Arnold Schwarzenegger Wasn’t Impressed by the Terminator Script Initially

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      The insightful book The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage, authored by Nick de Semlyen, reveals that Schwarzenegger was not initially captivated by the script for The Terminator.

      “However, his girlfriend Maria, who had become intrigued by it when it arrived at their home, encouraged him to take a closer look, leading him to agree to a lunch meeting with its writer-director,” writes de Semlyen.

      Maria, of course, was Maria Shriver, whom Schwarzenegger was married to from 1986 to 2021.

      Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Initially Considered for Kyle Reese

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      When Schwarzenegger was first approached about the film, he was considered for the heroic role of Kyle Reese, which eventually went to Michael Biehn.

      “It was purely coincidental because I didn’t even audition for Terminator,” Schwarzenegger recounted to Howard Stern. “I was aiming to be Kyle Reese, and during lunch with director James Cameron, I kept discussing The Terminator.”

      OJ Simpson Was Considered for the Terminator Role

      Hertz – Credit: C/O

      Studio chief Mike Medavoy sought to cast Buffalo Bills star O.J. Simpson as the cold-blooded killing machine.

      We’ll leave the joke to you.

      Medavoy later explained to EW: “At that time, O.J. Simpson was known for a commercial with Hertz where he leaped over a counter to grab a rental car. I thought the Terminator should embody that athleticism.”

      Arnold Schwarzenegger Only Says 131 Words in The Terminator

      Orion – Credit: Orion Pictures

      Three of those words are “I’ll be back.”

      Don't believe it? Just take a look.

      Linda Hamilton Aspiring to be a Shakespearean Actress

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      “I intended to be a Shakespearean actress after my time at the Strasberg studio in New York. Thus, I wasn’t as enthusiastic about The Terminator as my agents were,” Hamilton told EW. “Perhaps I was a bit snobby. I thought, ‘Oh, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m uncertain about this.'”

      However, once she observed him in action, she began to think, “Hmm, this could actually work.”

      She further mentioned to EW: “There was something so mechanistic and terrifying about him. I realized we were creating something unique, and suddenly, I believed.”

      Sarah Connor's Age is Unspecified

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      The film does not disclose Sarah Connor's age. Although various Terminator films have provided different birth years, the original script states she is only 19 years old.

      It specifically mentions she “is 19, attractive in a flawed, relatable manner,” whatever that means.

      Shooting During Production

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Michael Biehn let off steam during the filming by… shooting.

      Here they are at a shooting range with John Milius, who directed Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian.

      The Terminator Was Outperformed by Ralph Macchio and Others

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      The film performed well at the box office but didn't make the Top 20 movies of 1984, finishing at No. 21, behind titles like Revenge of the Nerds, Breakin’, Bachelor Party, and Red Dawn. The top film of 1984 was?

      Domestically, Ghostbusters topped the list, followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, and The Karate Kid. (Internationally, Beverly Hills Cop was the top movie, followed by the others in that order.)

      Indeed: The Karate Kid eclipsed The Terminator. However, this didn’t bother anyone, as The Terminator was created on a budget of only $6.4 million and grossed $34 million domestically and $